Thill-coupling



(N0 Model.)

J. L. DOWNING n s.. R. WARD.

THILL GOUPLING. N0. 358,150. Patelfld Feb. 22', 1887-.

NTTED STATES JAMES L. DOWN I NG AND SAMUEL PATENT OFFICE..

AR. WARD, OF RICHMOND, ILLINOIS.

THILL-co'UPLlNc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,150,V datedFebruary 22, 1887.

Application filed June 16, 1856.

T all whom iz; may concern.-

Be it known that we, J AMES L. DowNrNe and SAMUEL R. WARD, citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Richmond, in the county ofMcHenry and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and usefulImprovements in Anti-Rattlers and rPhill-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

rllhis invention pertains to improvements in that class of devices whichwe term anti-rattlers77 for carriages andthil1-couplings, having fortheir joint object to provide the ready adjustment or holding of thethills while coupling the same to the axle, aswell as to prevent therattling of the same, and to permitY the ready attachment and detachmentor coupling and uncoupling of the thills, and the invention consists ofthe combination of parts, includingtheir construction, substantially ashereinafter` set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of my improvedcombined antirattler and thill-coupling. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.Fig. 3 is avertical section taken through the coupling contrivances,including the bolt.

' the same, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views one end with a verticalear-like apertured plate,

A', which stands `just outside of the one end of the thill-couplingbolt. To the opposite end of the bar a s applied a second verticalearlike plate, A2, said end of transverse bar a having a rearwardextension or arm, a', projecting slightly upward, while the saidear-like plate A2 is of a width or slightly rearward extended to permitit to fit against said extension a' of the bara and to receive and allowof the pas- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of Serial No. 205.325. (Nnmodel.)

sage therethrough of a pintle or pivot, a2, riveted to the extension a',and upon which is pivoted or hinged the plate or ear A2. The plate A2has its upper rear corner slightly flared outward from its outside,-forming a dange, a3,

thereof also has the effect to broaden the back edge at said corner ofthe plate, whereby the latter is adapted to permit of the convenientapplication of pressure thereto by the finger in forcing or moving itout of alignment with the head of the coupling-bolt, to allow of thewithdrawal of the latter, and of a like application of pressure theretoby the thumb in forcing or returning it to its former or normalposition. The plate A2 is provided with two stops, at a5, one projectingfrom the upper rear edge of its slightly rearwardlyextended or widersurface, which, as the plate is turned or forced forward, enters a notchor recess, b, in the top forward edge ofthe extension a ofthe bar a,arresting further movement in that dithev plate A2 projects from thebottom inner edge, near the middle of the said plate, and as the latter,after having been moved forward, is moved rearward or returned to itsformer position enters a notch or recess, b', in the lower forward edgeof the extension a of the bar a, thus limiting further movement in thatdirection of the plate A2.

In the transverse bar a, about at the center, is a socket, d, opening atthe end thereof next to the plate A2 and adapted to receive a spring(helical, preferably) and a ball or spherical catch, o?, seated orcushioned upon said spring and projecting a short distance from orbeyond said end of the bar a, to permit of contact with the plate A2,and by its spring-,pressure caused to press upon the latter'.

rIhe plate A2 is provided with a vconcavity or a proximate hemisphericalsocket, e, coincident with the spherical or ball catch d', and intowhich springs or snaps the normally-projecting portion of the sphericalor ball catch as the plate A2 is moved to its normal position, toeffectively secure or fasten the said plate in its said normal orholding position. The primary object or joint use of the ears or platesA A2 is to prevent the accidental displacement of and liability oflosing the thillthereat, which outward daring or iianging coupling pin,while at'the same time avoiding rection of the plate A2. The other stop,ai", of

IOO

vthe screw-threading of the pin, and conseand having its inner endpointed or taperingand entering a socket in the usual anti-rattlingelastic cushion, C, interposed between the eye and inner end ofthethill, being conformed to the intervening space between said parts, asshown.

D is a metallic plate arranged to rest or bear against the under side ofthe cushion O, the same having a central opening, e, through whleh thepoint or tapered end ofthe thumbscrew B passes, while at the base orinuerend of the taper of the point of thescrew is a shoulder, whichrests or bears' against the plate D, thus applying and distributing thepressure of the screw upon the said cushion in order to fully utilizethe cushion in preventing the rattling of the thill. The tapered pointof the said screw may be triangular in crosssection, as may be also thesocket of the cushion C. rlhe plate D is provided with teats or pointedprojections g g. to secure or connect it to the cushion, said teats orpoints being formed, it may be, by punching the same out of the plateitself, as shown, or theyT may be otherwise )roduced, a second plate,D', similarly provi ed with teats or points g' g, entering and securingthe said plate to the upper side of the cushion or rubber C,`whieh plateis designed to take up wear that would otherwise be experienced by therubber, and prevents the adherence or sticking of the rubber to thethill-eye, which would result if they were permitted to he in directcontact with each other.

It will be understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the detailsof construction of the other parts as herein shown and described, as itis obvious that the same may be varied or changed without departing fromthe spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of thc yoke-plate having a cross or transverse barprovided at one end with a iixed ear-like vertical plate and at itsopposite end with a pivoted ear-like plate and the spring-actuatedspherical or ball catch, substantially as shown and described.

2. The yoke-plate having at its forward edge or end a transversesocketed bar containing a spring and a spherical or ball catch, whichbar also has at its one end an ear-like plate, in combination with theadditional ear-like plate pivoted to an extension of said bar andprovided with a eoncavity, substantially as shown and described.

3. The eombination,with the yoke-plate having a transverse socketed bar,the spring, and the spherical orball catch, ofthe ear-likeplate pivotedto said bar, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the spherical or ball catch contained in atransverse soeketed bar of the yoke-plate, of the ear-like plate pivotedto an extension of said yoke-plate and having a concavity and providedwith stops entering notches or recesses of said extension, sulstantiallyas shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence oftwowitnesses.

JAMES L. DOVVNING. SAMUEL R. XVARD.

Witnesses:

LEWIS PnTnRsoN, C. S. MILLER.

